AUDIOBOOK
Monopoly X
How Top-Secret World War II Operations Used the Game of Monopoly to Help Allied Pows Escape, Conceal
Philip E. Orbanes(0)
About
An amazing true story of World War II that reveals how British and American military intelligence smuggled supplies and escape tools into German P.O.W. camps disguised as Monopoly game sets, enabling imprisoned servicemen to escape.
Monopoly X is the fascinating true story of what is arguably the most unusual and daring secret operation of World War II. The masterminds at England's top-secret MI-9, and later America's MIS-X, created a special version of the popular game, hiding tools, maps, and money within game boards-delivered by an unwitting Red Cross-to captured Allied servicemen held at gunpoint behind barbed wire in German prison camps. This ingenious and complex plot, dubbed "Monopoly X," was never discovered by the Nazis and led to successful Allied breakouts.
The creation and success of Monopoly X remained a deep secret through the war and for decades after, until now. For the first time, Phillip E. Orbanes tells the full story of the breadth and depth of this clandestine program-how it was devised, implemented, and used to great success. A tale of derring-do as compelling as the World War II classic, The Great Escape, Monopoly X is an amazing war story of Allied intelligence services, resistance forces in Europe, heroes and heroines, a notorious traitor, and the pivotal role a ubiquitous board game had in secret codes and espionage.
Monopoly X is the fascinating true story of what is arguably the most unusual and daring secret operation of World War II. The masterminds at England's top-secret MI-9, and later America's MIS-X, created a special version of the popular game, hiding tools, maps, and money within game boards-delivered by an unwitting Red Cross-to captured Allied servicemen held at gunpoint behind barbed wire in German prison camps. This ingenious and complex plot, dubbed "Monopoly X," was never discovered by the Nazis and led to successful Allied breakouts.
The creation and success of Monopoly X remained a deep secret through the war and for decades after, until now. For the first time, Phillip E. Orbanes tells the full story of the breadth and depth of this clandestine program-how it was devised, implemented, and used to great success. A tale of derring-do as compelling as the World War II classic, The Great Escape, Monopoly X is an amazing war story of Allied intelligence services, resistance forces in Europe, heroes and heroines, a notorious traitor, and the pivotal role a ubiquitous board game had in secret codes and espionage.
Related Subjects
Reviews
"Corey Snow's baritone is splendid for narrating this account of how the Monopoly board game was used to enable Allied POWs to escape German captivity during WWII. During the war, British and American intelligence services were able to conceal tools, money, and maps in special editions of Monopoly that were given to their POWs by various charities. These tools enabled a number of POWs to escape captivity in coordination with local resistance forces. The plot was designated "Monopoly X" and has only recently come to light. Snow is a skilled narrator, and his authoritative tone is a wonderful match of voice and text. Snow's slightly staccato intonation is reminiscent of a newsreel's. He is appropriately expressive throughout the production and smoothly handles foreign words. M.T.F. � AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine"
AudioFile